He’s a real rope-a-dope!
Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson treated a Ben & Jerry’s kiosk at the US Open like it was his own freezer — reaching in and snagging an ice cream bar before strolling off without paying, multiple sources told The Post.
But it was the Brooklyn-born bruiser’s celebrity status and tough-guy image that prevented him from getting creamed by US Open officials.
“I was like, ‘Are you serious? Am I imagining this?’ (Tyson) was like, ‘I feel like having an ice cream’ and he just took it,” said one stunned worker, adding, “What are you going to do, fight him? He’s Mike Tyson.”
Tyson, 50, allegedly socked it to the stand inside Arthur Ashe Stadium as he walked through the Club Level area before Novak Djokovic took to Stadium Court to win his first-round match against Jerzy Janowicz in four sets.
The troubled brawler lifted the lid of the freezer stand, scooped out the $5.50 “Half Baked” ice cream bar and strolled off without paying for it, the witnesses said.
The female worker behind the stand yelled, “Excuse me, are you going to pay for that,” but Tyson just ignored her and kept walking, according to the witnesses.
The worker then asked her superior what she should do, but her boss couldn’t care less, saying, “Oh, it’s Mike Tyson, let it go,” said one witness.
After polishing off the chocolate-covered treat, Tyson mugged for the cameras with singer Jewel and actor Alex Baldwin in the Presidential Suite overlooking Stadium Court as other celebs sat nearby, including Anna Wintour, Vera Wang and Debra Messing.
“It shows his character. He doesn’t seem bothered by what he did,” said another worker. “It doesn’t surprise me, though, given his background. Mike Tyson is not the most upstanding citizen.”
Tyson’s publicist, Joann Mignano, offered this explanation in defense of the “Hangover” actor:
“There was a misunderstanding,” she said. “Mike got the ice cream and was going to have the host pay for it as he was running around with his family. He was being pulled in a lot of directions as his daughter, Milan, is a rising tennis star and huge fan of the sport. … His host, [USTA national manager] David Slade, got the money from Mike and has made sure the bill has been taken care of.”
The former boxing great has certainly led a tumultuous life.
In 1988, he was accused by then-wife Robin Givens of violence, spousal abuse and mental instability during a historic interview with Barbara Walters on ABC’s “20/20” news show.
Four years later, Tyson was convicted for raping 18-year-old beauty pageant contestant Desiree Washington in an Indianapolis hotel room. He was released in 1995 after serving three years in prison.
His second marriage in 1997 to Monica Turner ended in divorce with allegations of Tyson’s many infidelities.
In perhaps his most notorious act, Tyson bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s right ear and spat it onto the canvas during a 1997 championship bout. Tyson was disqualified.